mostly david ephgrave

I woke up far earlier than I would have liked yesterday and today, which I think is partly due to the proximity of the Fringe and my unanswered questions about my show. It’s definitely been harder to get in the right frame of mind this year all the way through. Admittedly, I felt similar last year too, and was aware of how much longer it took to get going compared to the year before that, though I was ultimately happy with what I finally arrived at. Maybe that’s just the way it goes, though the challenge comes from doing so much alone when I’d sooner have some collaboration as part of the process, or a sounding board at the very least. I know I’m tackling something different in this show, more so than I’ve ever before, but I want to get it right. My biggest concern is that the tight running-time won’t allow enough space to broach more serious material and also be comedic. In any arena other than Edinburgh (with its very precise genre llsting) this ...

Today was a strange day in that it took in a lot of highs and lows, with me feeling just about every emotion from happiness, to relief, to anxiety and illness (which is apparently now a psychological state). I went to the venue this morning, a little on edge, on the back of the last two shows having gone so well. Being a pessimist, this made me suspicious; “Surely by law of averages, the next one must be bad?” Amazingly, it didn’t. There were only four people in, but they were lovely throughout, despite there being a good chance they could be intimidated into silence by a performer eyeballing them throughout. My voice was still tired, but I had slightly more to play with than the previous day, and even managed to hold the long note at the end of the show without warbling and cracking like on Saturday. I walked back to my digs feeling elated, but no sooner had I got back, than my mood completely dropped. I think this comes from the nervous e...

Today’s been a long, yet productive day. It started with me rushing to get ready in time to be given a lift to Hitchin Station by my mum this morning to meet the 8:19 train to Peterborough (like 'The 8:15 from Manchester', only less of a Nineties kids’ TV affair). Glyn and I have always said we’d one day like to travel to the festival by train, rather than making our way up in a van or people-carrier that’s stocked up to the brim with props, luggage and the rest. So it was today for the first time for me, though I still had a large suitcase, a satchel and a couple of plastic bags to contend with. Even this was only possible after sending a suitcase full of electrical equipment, a projector screen and a stand in three separate packages couriered by two different companies; at time of going to press, the projector stand has arrived, with the other two parcels set to come tomorrow, all being well. (…and by “all being well” I mean, “Without them, there's no show....

My wife said some words of wisdom to me before I left for yesterday's gig (and they weren't "Let it be").  I told her which material I was planning to do as I said goodbye and asked, " Will that be all right?", to which she said, " Tell them it's all right".  (I'm married to Yoda.)  That's stand-up in a nutshell. There shouldn't be doubt. I'm in control of my stories; I own them. So why apologise for what I tell?  It's amazing how easy it is to forget the essentials. I've spend a heck of a lot of my life on stage, as an actor, a musician and a comic. I've played nearly every major theatre in the country, and most of the minor ones too. I've even been in a West End musical, which considering my distaste for the idiom is frankly ridiculous - so why do I still frequently feel I shouldn't be there? To be fair, it's usually only just before I go on. When I'm performing, it suddenly makes sense, and o...

Some days you’re just not in the mood for a commercial casting, and today is one of those days. BEFORE: As I write I’m sat in a coffee shop just a few yards around the corner from the casting suite where I’m due to be seen in half an hour. Part of the reason for my reticence is the fact that I haven’t had a casting for a fortnight or so; it’s very easy to get out of practice. Also, the random nature of commercial castings – never quite knowing what’s going to be thrown at you – means you often have to psyche yourself up for it. Ultimately, I’m pleased to be being seen for something; it ups the chance of work and money. It’s hard to keep positive, though, when the last few months have been so full of ‘pencils’ and near-misses. In a moment I’ll finish up my Mint Humbug tea (sophisticated), close up my laptop (high-tech) and wander over to the casting suite (legs), to fill in the usual massive pile of forms (admin) and cast my eye over...